Listing deactivationIP-5 · Intellectual Property Policy
Using a real person's name or likeness to sell products requires their permission
What Etsy says
Using the name, image or likeness of another person (especially a famous person) to help sell or promote goods or services violates their publicity rights. You cannot trade on someone's fame by mentioning their name to sell your product.Read Etsy's full Intellectual Property Policy
How to stay compliant
- Identify listings that use a real person's name, photo, or signature as the primary draw — especially celebrity names used in titles or tags.
- Remove the person's name, photo, or likeness from listings where their identity is used to make the product more marketable without their authorization.
- If your product is commentary, satire, or criticism involving a public figure, consult a legal professional before listing, as these defenses are fact-specific and not guaranteed.
- Replace celebrity names in tags with descriptive terms (genre, style, era) that describe the item without invoking someone's personal brand.
- Do not relist after a takedown without materially changing the content — repeat use of the same person's name or likeness escalates to account-level review.
Effort: medium · 1-3 hours
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Related intellectual property policy rules
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- Listings must not reproduce copyrighted works without authorizationListing deactivation
- Counterfeit or unauthorized replica goods are prohibitedSuspension risk
- Fan art and derivative works based on copyrighted characters require authorizationListing deactivation
- Repeat IP infringement notices lead to account terminationSuspension risk
- DMCA counter-notice: seller asserts good-faith belief that takedown was mistake or misidentificationListing deactivation